COE So... I accidentally bought a cabover yesterday.

Put a bid on a ‘41 Ford a while ago and it seems like it slipped under the radar. Got a good deal on it so now I need to go pick it up and figure out exactly what to do with it. It’s less than 200 miles away but it’ll be Halloween weekend before I grab it. It’ll take some hammer and dolly work on the fenders but it’s not very rusty.

I’ve wanted a cabover for a long time and have a donor truck- a ‘70s p-30 one ton cabover with a flatbed, but I think that is better suited to a slightly newer / larger coe (farmer down the road has a 54 or 55 Ford c600 that hoping to use when he decides to sell it).

I’m thinking of a runabout, pickup style. CDT Al’s rig is awesome, among others. I feel safe here in the social group to say it won’t be H.A.M.B. friendly under its skin, because I’m not ruling out fuel injection etc. Trying to decide what donor to shop for- I see lots of ideas in the donor thread. A nineties Silverado or van seems reasonable but I’m afraid it may be too wide. The Astro subframe I see is enthusiastically supported but isn’t that basically an S10? If so I’d think it’s a bit light. Dodge Dakota?
Wheelbase won’t be a problem because it’ll get a custom bed.
Here’s a pic just because pics are fun.
Any thoughts, suggestions or comments are welcome.
Thanks fourspeedwagon

 

Accidentally... BWAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Dakota might be spot on. The Ram 1500 frame under mine works nicely, but the front track could be a couple inches skinnier. I hope to widen the front fenders to accommodate that at some point.

Congrats on the COE!

 

Now for the bad news... Northern Classic Truck is no longer producing all the great panels I bought for mine. I've never found another source. It's rumored that Midwest Early Ford bought NCT dies and parts, but I don't see any COE stuff listed on their site. Maybe a phone call would be more successful.

 

Hmm. Wife didn’t buy my story either... I even said it with a straight face. Thankfully she’s had 21 years to learn that I drag a lot of stuff home. Keeps me out of the tav I suppose.

Did you change the steering or just rotate the stock one? Are you running the engine etc. from the Ram and stock location?
I’ll have to take a look- maybe you have all these details posted and don’t need to repost everything.
Thanks for the congrats wetskier

 

Is this the one knucklin had on eBay from Montana? Any have fun and take lots of photos . Blue

 

It’s in Idaho but that state is pretty skinny at the top- can’t be far from Montana.

Wetskier- I see your post is many pages, I’ll start reading now and see what’s under that rig.

 

welcome aboard, looks like a nice solid start.

 

Making the rack and pinion, 4x4 steering work was probably my biggest challenge and one I might never have accomplished successfully without the generous help right here! (and Isuzu) .

I see on the auction pics that your gravel pan is pretty much "not there". Those were available at NCT, hopefully MEF does build them. Every bit from NCT was very nice IMHO. You have far less rot than I did. The cowl looks pretty solid., that's nice... Odd how the doors have a fair amount of rot, but the cowl and fenders don't. FG fenders are available from Wescott's. The grille looks pretty solid, that's awesome. The steel bars and the SS center bar are available. I think that was someone other than Northern, but I'm not sure.

My understanding is that only 41s had SS trim on the grille. Is yours there but painted?

 

The grille pieces were Northern also..

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1941-ford-coe-build.919826/page-18#post-11325417

Although, if your plan is to hammer and dolly those fenders back to life, I suspect your "need" for new panels is much less than mine. My talents are no where near sufficient to bring your fenders back to life. A good reason why another HAMBer has my steel fenders, that he did a fantastic job with!

 

Midwest Early Ford just told me that he thinks the Northern tooling was all scrapped when they stopped making those parts.. Seems like a poor idea to melt down just about any tools.
I’m not sure about the grill stuff or trim. I haven’t gotten to see the truck yet in person- probably a good thing because I may have not bought it if I looked to close.
Wetskier- I’m on the 7th page of your thread- fun to read and glad to know it isn’t one of those threads that fell off the face of the earth halfway through.
Local guy I know just bought a Dakota to put under a 50s pickup but he was mad that he didn’t notice it’s that weird 6 lug pattern. Pretty sure I can get that truck reasonably. I told him that the rotors can be swapped etc but he didn’t think he wanted to do that. Strange- this guy does some of the most********* builds of anyone I personally know, but the 6 lug thing was a kick in the nuts? I think it was just that he didn’t notice and it pissed him off.
Looks like 18 days till I drag the trailer up and collect this beast. Tick tick tick.

 

welcome back into the realm of COE ownership!
JML

 

Thanks Vintage- I remember chatting with you a few years ago when I had that yellow 56 ford. Glad to see you're still hanging out here. Is there a thread with your truck?

 

Poor old truck looks like it was well used and abused. The dakota would be on my radar for sure with those early COE's. How about those Chevy Colorado trucks? they are similar size to the dakota

 

The problem with Dakotas isn't the front rotors, it's the rear axle flanges, have to switch axles and drums, don't know if you can get the axles easy anymore.
I did like the way a 2WD Dakota drove with the R&P steering.

 

As the former owner of several wacky 6 lug Dakotas and Durangos, I feel his pain. Aftermarket wheel? Fughetaboutit. However, if you found a 2005+ Dakota, they went back to 5 lugs.

 

I do.
Not a whole lot to show yet, but here she is.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1956-ford-c-series-big-job-build-thread.933396/
Kinda dreading the rust repair.....
And need to replace the pics hijacked by Photohucket.

 

Well, trying to decide what to do with this cab (for chassis).
Currently in inventory, I have an early 70s P30 cabover/flatbed. It's a factory cabover (looks like an outhouse on wheels) with a 16' deck. Runs/drives 350 th400, ps, pb, dually. (already own it)
Uncle has an 86 E250 with 69k on it. 351 auto, single wheel 8 lug with Dana 60 or 61. ($400)
Guy down the way has a 76ish c10 regular bed 350 auto, says it runs and drives too. ($1000)
I previously did a 39 pickup on an s10 chassis and decided that was just too light wieght. I hear the Dakota option, but wonder if it'd be too little like my previous- I know it's bigger, but is it big enough.
Most of the rigs seem to be on 1 ton chassis so the cab must be wide enough and hence wide enough for the 1/2 ton c10.
First thought was to make it a "pickup" style build. Is 138" wheelbase stupid for a pickup? Can an E250 be shortened reasonably straight forward? I've seen it suggested by people to use the Ford vans but haven't seen a build thread where someone actually did..

If it's a decent choice, I'd like to use the Ford van because it's cheap and has low miles.

The P30 is already mine and the steering should be easy- but I wasn't really going for a Hauler with this little '41 cab.

C10 may be the right size but it'll take a larger bite out of my funds and slow me down a bit.

Anyone care to throw in an opinion or maybe experience to shove me one way or away from one?

 

Since the 90s, I haven't been in love with Ford vans, you don't drive them down the road, you herd them! Don't have an opinion on Chevys, haven't driven one enough to know.
Did like the Dakota I put 150k on, but beware of holes in the frame under the drivers feet, if you live in rust country.

 

Track width and frame width. measure both on the COE then measure donors. Does a Ford van even have a frame? Chevy vans don't(unibody). If it does it's likely fairly wide. Chevy PU frames are narrow up front then widen with lots of humps and dips.
How about using the OE frame and upgrading the suspension and steering?

 

Steve - is that 90s vintage ford vans or the older ones too? This is an 86 if that’s any different.

Rmr- Yes, Ford vans have a full frame. I can’t find a good pic of one to know how flat or parallel the rails are though. I also found that Dodge vans are some sort of unibody too. I guess I’ll need to keep waiting- I’ll be getting the 41 the last weekend of the month.

 

Smells like you're on the right track... Fit and usage, fit and usage... No need for a 2 ton chassis if you're building a half ton pickup and vice versa.

 

The Ford I had experience with was a very early 90s, I don't know exactly when they started with that front suspension.

 

If this helps, I am keeping the original frame and going to remove all suspension ( redesign) and retain frame rails and most cross members and more importantly, retain the original VIN/serial number.

 

If you're going that direction, there was a period of time that GM used a removable front crossmember on pick-ups and/or vans that will give you a complete bolt on front suspension. I don't remember what years, but saw one under an old COE in a swap meet. Sorry I'm so vague, but I wasn't interested at the time.

 

Man, if the front track width fits, I'd use that P30 you already have... The $ used on fetching some other platform could be well spent freshening that old girl up.
PS, PB, duallies... sounds like a winner in my book.

 

oh wait, yeah. you bought the whole truck, not just a cab, right?
I'd go visit the local DMV to figure out what your state's requirements are for rebodied vehicles. As X Aero stated, keeping #s matching these days isnt as much an integrity thing, as it is a hemorrhoid and paperwork overspending avoidance. That's kinda how I came to own mine. The PO realized what a pain it was going to be after he scrapped the frame to get something****led.

All that said, I'd look at clipping the front of the P30 onto your original frame rails, and swap out the rears.

 

you mentioned not having seen a build on a ford 'van' chassis...
here's a link to one of my favorite builds ('56 C series on an E-450):
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1388831-1956-ford-coe-c600-build.html
JML

 

I know this varies in HUGE measures from state to state, but... On my '41 the only "vin" aka serial number I found was on the front crossmember under the radiator. That crossmember is still a part of my truck. In NH, you fill out a little blue form, call the cops, they stop by and verify the number on the vehicle and blue form then you're DONE!

I'm sure other states are not that easy. NH also only****les vehicles model year 2000 and up.

 

I think using the original frame probably won’t work for me- I want it a bit lower than than I think it will end up on those rails.
The FTE thread looks good- thanks for the link. Looks like photobucket ate all the pics but it’s good to know it’s worked for him and the other poster on that thread.

As an aside- I just passed a similar 40s Ford COE on the freeway. Red oxide primer, looked like a one ton swap with about a 12-14’ flatbed, towing a really big camp trailer- at least a 30’+ camper. Very Cool

 

Wet- I’ll be using the****le for whatever chassis I end up using. Like you said, the cab doesn’t have any numbers to use.